The present invention generally relates to electronic displays and more particularly, to the protection of displays with high visibility requirements.
The expansion of electronics into practically every aspect of modem life has expanded the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and other displays, which are extensively used in modem electronics. As typically used in electrons, LEDs display simple information indicative of status or operation. For example, LEDs are used as power lights indicating whether electricity is supplied to an electronic device such as a computer or television. LEDs are also used to indicate the operation of an electronic device. Television remotes typically include LEDs that flash or light up as a signal is transmitted to the television or as the channel is changed. Likewise, electronic voltage detectors activate a LED in the presence of a threshold voltage.
Faced with the need to provide a visible field of view, electronic devices struggle to position LEDs in highly visible location. One approach includes allowing LEDs to protrude from the electronic device housing to increase visibility and field of view. For a given electronic device, the field of view of the LED includes all angles from which the LED is within the expected direct line of sight of a user. As a result of basic geometry, the further an LED protrudes from a device housing, the greater the field of view of the LED.
Unfortunately, while an electronic device housing protects the internal electronics, protruding LEDs are left susceptible to incidental impacts during use and damage if dropped. In some applications, incidental impacts significantly reduce the reliability and robustness of the electronic device due to the nature of their operation. For example, handheld electronic devices, such as television remotes and handheld voltage detectors, require higher reliability and robustness during operation due to the character of their use. As handheld devices are often dropped or knocked against other objects, protruding LEDs on voltage detectors are especially susceptible to damage during use.
In many harsh or strenuous working environments, handheld electronic devices are often dropped or fall from uneven surfaces. For example, in many military environments, testing electronic voltages across terminals on vehicles, aircraft, and weapons requires workman to manipulate handheld voltage detectors in tight areas where there are few stable flat surfaces to place the electronic voltage detector. In these types of situations, the LEDs in the electronic devices are often damages by contact with other equipment or by accidentally dropping the electronic device.
Increased visibility and hence protruding LEDs are sometimes necessary in some applications involving tight working areas with difficult lighting conditions. Unfortunately, the replacement and maintenance of damaged LEDs adds additional costs. More particularly, replacement of individual LEDs is difficult due to their size and electrical connections, resulting in increase down time and inefficiency. Alternatively, replacement of electronics or entire electronic devices is impractical and costly. In these situations, the LEDs may also be individually expensive to replace because cheaper less rugged lighting elements or cheaper LEDs are unavailable to be used on the exterior of the electronic devices.
To protect LEDs from incidental impact and reduced reliability, electronic devises embed LEDs within the housing. While, surrounding the LED with the housing may allow potential impacts to the LED to be deflected by the housing, the embedded LEDs inherently possess a reduced field of view and fail to remain visible unless a user is directly over the LED. In tight working conditions, a user may be unable to maintain direct line of sight to an LED while positioning the electronic device, rendering the device inefficient, if not useless.
What is needed is an LED protector that protects the LED from impacts yet provides an increased, wider field of view. Additionally, what is needed is an LED display that is protected from incidental impact yet still visible from extended angles during use. While some goals of the present invention have been mentioned, this is not meant to be limiting on the present invention. Any of these exemplary characteristics of systems of the present invention may include any one or more of these aforementioned characteristics.